The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

“A psychological mystery from H.P. Lovecraft in which a man experiments with alchemy and resurrection”

1918 – the young Charles Dexter Ward becomes fascinated by the history of his wizard ancestor Joseph Curwen, who left Salem for Providence in 1692. Curwen was notorious for haunting graveyards, his apparent lack of aging and his practice of alchemy.

Ward physically resembles Curwen and attempts to duplicate his ancestor’s cabbalistic and alchemical feats, eventually resurrecting him. Ward’s doctor is drawn into Ward’s experiments and eventually bears witness to the full horror of Ward’s results as Lovecraft’s psychological mystery unfolds before him.